Centaur's Dilema
by mirkwoodmage
Summary: When a centaur unknowingly releases a deadly horror on the world, it's up to Hufflepuff's newest student to save the day. There's a few Artemis Fowl things, but not enough to have to read the book.


Disclaimer: I don't own a thing, awesome isn't it?  
  
Chapter One: A New Student  
  
The teachers watched glassy–eyed as the fiftieth student walked up to the stool on which the sorting hat was laid. Keira Pince's short ginger hair gently brushed her chin gently as her tall figure sat down cautiously on the low stool, teeth clenched, she put the hat on her head as her golden eyes glittered with malice.  
  
"Well, aren't you a bit OLD to just be starting your magical education? Do you think it's just possible you might already know some of this stuff?" the hat whispered in the girl's ears sarcastically.  
  
"You'd think wouldn't you?" she thought in mock sweetness, "Fourteen, and they want me to pretend to go to school in freakin EUROPE!!!!! AND they have to take me out of my normal, non–magic school so I'm gonna be behind a whole freakin year when I get back!!!!!!!!" sensing heat starting to radiate from her hair because of her anger, she took a deep breath.  
  
Ignoring her outburst the Sorting Hat continued,"Well now, let's decide what house to put you in, my, my, you have many secrets don't you? Deviousness, that's a Slytherin quality, oh, and you're good with people, maybe I should put you in Hufflepuff? No, no, not enough patience, what? You want Gryfindor? Well, I wouldn't say your not brave, quit the opposite, one of the bravest people I've seen, but I think you'll do much better in SLYHERIN!"  
  
As Keira was starting to walk toward the green table, wondering at her misfortune "boos" started to emit from her new house. The Slytherins were not happy at the prospect of a muggle born entering their midst. Then, unexpectedly, the hat shouted, and it wasn't the next student's new house either  
  
"Wait!!" it called as the tall girl walked dejectedly to the green table, "Eh, sorry professors, but I think she'll do much better in HUFFLEPUFF"  
  
Smiling at the sudden change of events, the girl nearly skipped as she turned toward the yellow table, paying no heed to everyone in the Great Hall who was whispering profoundly at her change of houses. As Mcgonagle resumed calling names, the fourteen--year–old girl sat down.  
  
"So," said a brunette sitting across from her, curious to find out more about the girl who had nearly entered Slytherin, "Are you a transfer? You look a bit older than eleven."  
  
"I'm fourteen, fifteen in November, but I'll be starting as a first year." forcing a smile, she took a drink of water, 'how weird, wine cups for water' she thought, trying to distract herself from her anger.  
  
Hearing the brunette sputter, someone nearby turned and looked at the girl "What's happened now Caroline?" inquired a boy sitting next to, who it seemed, was called Caroline. Brushing his raven hair out or his midnight blue eyes, he sighed.  
  
"Lawrence, she's" she paused to take a drink, hearing her raspy voice(the product of all that sputtering) "Going to take the same classes as the first–years." The boy's jaw dropped at the dispatching of this information.  
  
"What? Why? It's not like they just figured out you're a witch or something." he exclaimed with a joking smile, but dropped it at Keira's glare.  
  
"Y-you mean, the ministry never figured out you had magic?" he said, dumbstruck though he seemed to recover quickly after a small bit of stuttering.  
  
Still glaring, Keira began to speak, "Yes, your ministry was just too kind to us foreigners for words, I happen to be an American you know. So, anyways, what was your name?"  
  
"Lawrence Robinson," he said, he was about to further question her, discontented by this short answer, but she spoke just as he started to open his mouth.  
  
"So, Lawrence, who's your friend here?" she asked pointing at the brunette.  
  
"That's Caroline Welsh, and you are?"  
  
"Keira Pince"  
Caroline, like her friend, seemed suspicious of Keira's claim of "just finding out she was a witch," and thought there was a more reasonable explanation. She was about to question her further but, again, Keira spoke first.  
"Is that tapioca any good?"  
  
Caroline grinned sheepishly, contemplating Keira's excuse, she hadn't been paying much attention to her surroundings "Oh, yeah, the deserts are here?"  
  
Lawrence, who was currently shoving ice cream into his mouth(and appeared to be immune to ice–headaches) grinned "Don't mind Car, she's really not that bad once you realize her paranoia is only due to preoccu– OW!!!" he exclaimed as Caroline hit him on the shoulder.  
  
Keira snorted at this friendly interchange "What grades you guys in anyway?"  
  
"Year five" they said in unison, "Same year you'd be in if you started on time." added Caroline hoping this little tidbit would aid in extracting some sort of information.  
  
"What's that old dude's name? I keep forgetting it."she asked ignoring the questioning look she was being given.  
Caroline and Lawrence laughed a little at the reference of "old dude" as Lawrence answered her question  
  
"The "old dude" is Dumbledore, the headmaster," he answered, grinning at her "title" for the headmaster  
  
"So, he's the principle?"  
  
"That's what they call them in the U.S.?"asked Caroline.  
  
"Hey Car," Lawrence said suddenly, pointing at the teacher's table, "What do you think that house–elf's doing up there at the table?" Turning to look at where he was pointing the two girls saw a house elf, sitting comfortably next to Flitwick, dressed in a green jump suit, it's hair was styling a buzz cut. Upon further staring, Keira noted, the elf did not have the batty ears of most house–elves, but rather, delicate ears, resembling that of a human's, but for the extremely pointed tips. Keira was about to comment on this when Dumbledore, started to speak.  
  
"My dear students, I am happy to welcome you back for a new school year!" he began "I would also like you all to meet your new Defense Against The Dark Arts' teacher, seeing as Miss Umbridge will not be coming back. Would you all please welcome Miss Holly Short!"  
  
Grinning, the elf stood up on it's chair as the clapping ceased, "Thank you Dumbledore," it said, the it, the audience discovered from the voice, was a she, and unlike most house–elves, it did not sport a high squeaky voice, but a normal voice that seamed a bit foreign.  
  
"Again, welcome back to Hogwarts students!" exclaimed Dumbledore, and with that all the food on the plates vanished.  
  
"Fist years, this way, you too, uh, Keira was it." called Lawrence, standing up as the food disappeared from the table, turning to face Caroline, he called out "Hey, Car, you going to come with me?"  
  
"What? And let you lose my new friend AND get in trouble on your very first day of prefect duties? No, I better go with you Lorry, for your own safety." rolling his eyes at Caroline's vote of confidence in him, he helped Miranda, the other new prefect, lead the first years, his two companions along side him.  
  
Smiling, Keira followed her two new acquaintances, maybe this school wouldn't be quit as horrid as she had suspected.  
  
Author's Note: Read and Rate please, I don't care if you're harsh, you hate it, just please REVIEW!!!! 


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